Draft rigging



Det. 25, 1932.

D. n.. TowNsEND DRAFT RIGGING Filed oct. 5. 1928.

Patented Oct. 25, 1932 series l?) a i El fun trge. s .aait-i IDONALD L. TOVVNSEND, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSEGNOR TO THE SYMINGTON COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., .A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND DRAFT RIGGING Application filed October 3, 1928. Serial No. 310,121.

used for connecting the pivoted members ofk thev stein of a swivel butt coupler,w herebythey will not encroach on the draft key receiving slot and interfere with the associated draft rkeyf a Another object of my invention is- -to provide resilient means for properly spacing the parts of a two-piece pin used in the shank of a swivel butt coupler.

further object of my'invention is to provide separable means held in the shank of a swivel butt coupler for properly spacing a pair of pivot pinsy therefor. Y

A still:` further obj ect of my invention is to 25 provide means insertible through the krear wall of the swivel block forming the butt of a swivel butt coupler for properly spacing` the. adjacent ends of pivot pins fo-r connecting thev parts of said' coupler. y

Other objects and advantages of the inventionk relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts will become` appa-rent as'tlie description proceeds.

Referring to the drawing illustrating my Yinvention, the scope whereof is deiined by the appended' claims. 1 y

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan of railway draft: rigging embodyingl my invention, a portion of the shank of the swivel butt coupler being'shown in horizontal section.

Figure 2 is a. side, elevation of the portion ofthe rigging shown in Figure 1, a part of the' swivel butt coupler' shank being shown in vertical section. v

Referring to. the drawing in detail, like parts being'designated by like reference characters, there is shown the shank 1 of a coupler involving a rigid portion 2 i" Y eatending rearwardlyfrom the head of the coupler (not 5G sho-wn)l and a swivel block or articulated portion 3 pivotally connected to the rigid portion 2 by pivot means 4l, which in the present embodiment comprises a pair of plain cylindrical pins 5, one of said pins being disposed above and the other below the slot 6, which normally'receives the associated draft key 7 for connection with the yoke 8. Although in the present embodiment I have shown my swivel butt coupler associated with 1 /horizontal yoke 8, it will be understood thaty l am not limited to this arrangement. Rearwardly of the swivel block 3 may be disposed a front follower or front portionA of associated cushioning mechanism, indicated diagrammatieally by dot and dash lines at 9. The front lug 10 of a common form of front follower is diagrammatically indicated as received in the rear aperture 11 of the swivel block 3.

' ln the present embodiment my swivel butt coupler involves alternately interspaced intercalated flanges 12 and 13 on the rigid portion 2 of the stem and 14, 15 and 16v on the swivel butt or articulated portion thereof,r

or retainers 19 extending through corre-V spending slots in lugs 20 disposed'on both. sides of the apertures 18 in the swivel block` flanges 11i and 16, respectively. The inner ends of said pins 5 are spaced by separable means 21, which, in the present embodiment, is shown as formed of a piece of spring metal bent approximately U-sliape with the free ends of the U reversely curved so that the intermediate portion or loop of said resilient device 21 extends between the adjacent ends of the pins 5 .and prevents their encroachment on the slot 6 and inte ference with thefassociated draft key 7. lt will be understood that that the width of the spring material for forming the retainer 2l preferably corresponds with the hickness or vertical dimension of the slot 6 and the dimensions of the retainer are such that the free ends 22, when in place, preferably engage the rear wall 23 of the swivel block, while the retainer is disposed in the usual cored cavity forwardly thereof, and hold the intermediate portion of the etainer in place between tl e adjacent ends of pins 5.

Gn account of being formed of spring material the retainer is suited for being inserted through the rear aperture ll in the wall 23 of the swivel block, which is normall provided for receiving the front lug on the associated front follower, the free ends of said retainer being pressed together until it is inserted in the aperture lil, after which said ends will spring apart to the positions illustrated particularly in Figure l and hold the retainer or separator in 'the desired position illustrated, whereby in conjunction with the cotters or outer retainers 19, it holds the pins 5 properly spaced and in the desired positions for performing their swivel functions without interference with the connecting draft key.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l have devised means which are conveniently and economically manufactured and adapted for ready insertion in the swivel blocks of swivel butt couplers for properly spacing the pair of pins or parts of the two-piece pivotal means frequently employed for connecting the swivel blocks with the associated shank portions of the couplers.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l.. A coupler with a shank comprising a pair of members with intercalated flanges formed with registering apertures, a slot formed in said shank, a horizontal draft key received in said slot and extended between the apertured portions of the flanges, pivot means extending through the apertures in said flanges above and below said slot, and means received in said shank and disposed between said pivot means for keeping them out of said slot.

2. A coupler with a shank comprising a pair of members with alternately interspaced flanges formed with registering apertures, a slot in said shank for receiving a horizontal i draft key, said slot being extended between the apertured portions of said flanges, a pair of pivot pins extending through the apertures in said flanges, one above and one below said slot, and means received in a cavity in one of said members and formed with a portion projecting therefrom and normally disposed between said pins for separating them a distance corresponding with the ver tical dimension of the slot.

3. A coupler with an articulated shank realises comprising a pair of members with intercalated alternately interspaced flanges, registering apertures formed in said flanges for receiving pivotal means, a slot in said shank for receiving a horizontal draft key, said slot being extended between the apertured portions of the flanges, pivot means extending through said apertured portions above and below said slot, and resilient means disposed in a shank pocket rearwardly of that portion of the slot for receiving said key and formed with a loop extending between said pivot means for preventing them from encroaching on said slot.

l. A coupler with a shank comprising a pair of members with alternately interspaced flanges, registering apertures formed in said flanges for receiving pivot means, av slot in said shank extended between the apertured portions of the flanges, means for pivotally connecting the members of the shank together extending through the apertures in said flanges above and below but not intersect-ing said slot, and separable means formed with end portions held in said shank and a curved intermediate portion engaging the adjacent ends of said pivot means for keeping them out of said slot.

5. A coupler with a shank comprising a pair of members with intercalated flanges formed with registering apertures, a draft key receiving slot in said shank extended between the apertures in said flanges, a pair of pivot pins extending through the apertures in said flanges both above and below said slot, the rearmost of said shank members having a pocket, an opening through the rear wall of said member to said pocket, and means compressible until it is adapted to pass through said openings, received in said pocket and formed with a portion spacing said pins and preventing interference thereof with an associated draft key.

6. A coupler stem comprising a plurality of members with intercalated flanges, a slot formed partly in each of said members and adapted to receive a horizontal draft key, said flanges being formed with registering apertures, pivot means extending through said apertures from below to but not intersecting the slot for said draft key, pivot means extending through said apertures from above to but not intersecting the slot for said draft key, a curved piece of spring metal with its ends extending rearwardly to normally engage the rear wall of the rear member of said stem and with its intermediate portion disposed between said pivot means for maintaining them in position and preventing interference thereof with said slot, and means engaging the outer ends of said pivot mea-ns for holding them in place.

7. In railway draft rigging, in combination, a coupler with a shank comprising a pair of members with intercalated flanges having registering apertures,y a slot in said shank, a yoke formed with correspondlng slots, a key passing through the slots in said coupler and yoke for connecting the members, pivot means extending through the apertures in the coupler 'flanges above and below said slot, and resilient means held in said shank and disposed between said pivot means rearwardly of said key for keeping said pivot means from interfering -with saidV key. e

8. In railway draft rigging, in combination7 a coupler with a shank comprising a pair of members with alternatelyinterspaced` flanges7 registering apertures kin said flanges for receiving pivot mea-ns, a slot in said shank extended between the apertured portions of said ianges, means for pivot-ally connecting the members of the shank togeth- DONALD L. TOWNSEND. 

